The efforts of the Ebonyi State Government towards providing improved healthcare to the people has received a boost. This is because the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated medical equipment worth over N47 million to the State Government towards the prevention of diseases and avoidable deaths of women and children.

Handing over the equipment to Governor David Nweze, at the Government House, on Monday in Abakaliki, the Deputy Director of USAID Mission Nigeria, Ms Aler Grubbs, said that the equipment were for the National Fistula Centre, Abakaliki and 70 Primary Health Care centres in the state.

Grubbs, disclosed that USAID has trained 450 directors and nurses from Ebonyi State to provide maternal and ante-natal healthcare to women and children. He said that Ebonyi was among the 11 states where the agency was partnering Nigeria in the treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of Vasico Vaginal Fistula (VVF).

Responding, Governor Dave Umahi, represented by his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, commended USAID for its committed partnership with the state government in the development of the state, especially, in the education and health sectors.

He expressed his confidence that with the donation from USAID, medical tourism from the state would reduce; stressing that the country had qualified medical personnel who rank among the best in the world.

He assured the agency that the government would ensure that the equipment were judiciously used.

In his remarks, the commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezurike, stated that the donation would be a boost to the government’s effort to reposition the primary health care centres for quality health care delivery.